Islam/Sufism
Response to a Misleading Article on Islam and Sufism Assalamu alaikum, The following is a response I wrote to an article, "SUFISM: The Deviated Path" by Yusuf Hijazi, which spreads many lies about Islam and Sufism.
Response to a Misleading Article on Islam and Sufism
Rabi`a's Gifts to Hasan al-Basra
Rabi`a's gifts to Hasan of Basra Once Rabi`a al-Adawiyya sent Hasan of Basra three things - a piece of wax, a needle, and a hair. "Be like wax," she said. "Illumine the world, and yourself burn. Be like a needle, always be working naked.In the Name of Allah the Rahman the Rahim It is astonishing that a colossal Islamic scholar, Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabî (AH 560-638), who lived more than eight centuries ago, should have declared that woman and man are absolutely equal in terms of human potentiality. He interpreted the "degree" which was given to man over woman [1] as an ontological matter, abolishing singular male images of the universe in favour of a binary conjugal conception, where male and female are coupled together in a necessary cosmic unity on the level of both Creation and Gnosis.
Souad Hakim: Ibn 'Arabî's Twofold Perception of Woman
Dogs in the Islamic Tradition and Nature By Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl Islamic discourses on the nature, and function of dogs are representative of a range of tensions regarding the roles of history, mythology, rationality, and modernity in Islam.
The Silsilah - Center for Sufism and Islamic Studies
Can spirituality be a remedy for depression? Does depression distance us from God? Is depression a lack of faith ? Are we nearer to God in happiness than when depressed? I wonder how many of us have struggled with these questions. Depression is complex and is often the result of an interplay of factors.
Is There a Spiritual Solution for Depression? A Muslim Perspective
When some of us think of Friday, we sometimes associate this day as “The Day” to sit down on that heavenly lounge chair, sip a nice cup of coffee or tea and lift our feet and know that you could care less what your boss wants you to do. This is the day where all worries from the week have been kicked up to the following Monday or Tuesday or whatever day just as long as you don’t have to think about it on Friday. This is the onset of the great weekend that you’ve been planning for since the beginning of the week. A day of fun, partying, vacationing, or just enjoying the time with family and friends. This day has become so popular that there’s even a restaurant that is called TGI Fridays the famous acronym that means ”Thank Goodness it’s Friday”.
Virtues of Friday « InTuiTivE MuSliMah
Islam and Existentialism « Words
The beauty of Islam lies in its simplicity, its uninterrupted linearity. The very idea of the oneness of God strikes the mind with immense fresh clarity. That is the answer: one. That is all you need to know. A monotheistic life is a life of clear thinking, radical balance. “And a man’s life’s no more than to say ‘One.’” ( Hamlet , Act 5, scene 2)
Eleven Naqshbandi principles
The Eleven Naqshbandi principles or the "rules or secrets of the Naqshbandi" , known in their original Persian as the kalimat-i qudsiya ("sacred words" or "virtuous words"), [ 1 ] are a system of principles and guidelines used as spiritual exercises , [ 2 ] or to encourage certain preferred states of being, in Naqshbandi Sufi schools of mysticism . [ edit ] Background There were originally eight principles formulated by the Central Asian Sufi teacher Abdul Khaliq Gajadwani (died 1179), the last three of the eleven being added later by Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari (1318–1389), founder of the Naqshbandi Order. [ 3 ] Both were Khwajagan (Masters) of the Sufi tariqah (path, way or method). These principles are designed to be borne in mind and used as spiritual practices or exercises in the Naqshbandi system of spiritual development.
The Example of Bahauddin Naqshband When he was at meals he used to pay closest attention to the example of the Prophet. For the most part he used to prepare the meals with his own hands, and he himself used to lay the table. He used to begin a meal with invoking the Name of God and finish it with giving thanks. If he noticed during meals that anyone present was not conforming to the counsels of the Prophet, he would wake him up and gently draw his attention.
The Example of Bahauddin Naqshband
By Adnan Majid Which one event does the Qur’an describe as the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ (peace be upon him) “manifest victory”? The Muslim conquest of the entire Arabian Peninsula, Jerusalem, and beyond The Prophet’s ﷺ re-entry into Mecca and the destruction of the pagan idols in the temple of Abraham `alayhi assalaam (peace be upon him) A nonviolent Muslim movement resulting in a peace treaty and compromise with long-time enemies It may come as a surprise, but the answer is C. True, the Arab Spring showed the world that Muslims can embrace nonviolent resistance to successfully affect change, but this commitment to nonviolence has rarely been described as a religious expression grounded in Islam.
Hudaybiya: Islam’s Victory by Nonviolent Resistance
Prejudices about Islam will be shaken by this show | Karen Armstrong | Comment is free
Hundreds of thousands of piligrims pray at Mecca's Grand Mosque. Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images Ever since the Crusades, when Christians from western Europe were fighting holy wars against Muslims in the near east, western people have often perceived Islam as a violent and intolerant faith – even though when this prejudice took root Islam had a better record of tolerance than Christianity.Executive Editor Erik S. Ohlander (Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, USA)
Journal of Sufi Studies
Many fans have asked where I have been for the past few months. I have been a regular blogger for the Huffington Post since 2009, often commenting on issues relating to Islam and the media, which as a Muslim in Hollywood is perhaps appropriate. But I have not written a post either here or on my own personal blog since late last year.